


The Winner Takes it All

by arborealstops



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Songfic, idk where this came from
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:42:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21881710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arborealstops/pseuds/arborealstops
Summary: yes I said it's inspired by Champagne because it IS but it's sadder and I didnt really want them to be connected by a series so
Relationships: Danny Concannon/C. J. Cregg
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	The Winner Takes it All

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Champagne](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19325902) by [arborealstops](https://archiveofourown.org/users/arborealstops/pseuds/arborealstops). 



> yes I said it's inspired by Champagne because it IS but it's sadder and I didnt really want them to be connected by a series so

_but tell me does he kiss_  
_like i used to kiss you?_  
_does it feel the same_  
_when he calls your name?_

when she received the invitation, kate harper had next to no intention of attending the dedication of the bartlet presidential library. it was nothing against the former president, or his staff, for that matter. it was merely a statement of fact- she had no intention of going. 

it seemed frivolous, to her, or perhaps that’s what she told herself. or, at least, what she told everyone else. in reality, she’d never been as close to the staff as she could have been, maybe should have been, and didn’t want to intrude on what was sure to be an emotional reunion. 

besides, will bailey was supposed to attend, and while kate wasn’t exactly unskilled when it came to interacting with exes on a professional basis, it still wasn’t her favorite pastime.

that’s what she told her coworkers, who couldn’t seem to care less, and that’s what she told nancy mcnally, the closest person she had to a friend, who just shook her head and smiled.

in reality, one hundred percent reality, kate didn’t plan to go because of claudia jean cregg. _concannon_ , she mentally reminded herself. _claudia jean cregg-concannon._

as far as cj knew, or at least as far as kate hoped cj knew, there was nothing bad between them. they’d grown apart, yes, but that sort of thing happens when one half of a relationship moves quite literally as far away as she can get without leaving the country. 

cj didn’t, and hopefully wouldn’t, know that kate hadn’t been too busy to reply to her emails, that kate had read every one. that she hadn’t been away the weekend of her wedding, that she hadn’t really had a mission during her bridal shower. what kate was hoping cj didn’t know was that she had been avoiding her. 

cj probably should have known- their goodbye had been less than graceful, less than friendly… kate hadn’t really meant for it to be that way, hadn’t meant to kiss cj after bringing her a congratulatory bottle of champagne. but she had. and then she’d slept with her, something she’d been wanting to do for a while, something it seemed that cj might have wanted as well. and she’d been foolish and naïve, thinking it would be enough to make cj stay. 

glancing down at the list of people invited to the dedication, she smirked, a glaringly dark tint to her eyes. _obviously, though, i was wrong._

but, despite all of that, what she told nancy was that she didn’t want to see will. and maybe nancy knew the real reason, maybe not. kate had seen the look on her face before, talking about cj, that made kate wonder for just a moment whether nancy had had a special relationship with the former press secretary and chief of staff. but the look was gone in an instant, and kate managed to convince herself that she’d imagined it. 

“i just don’t like hanging out with exes.” which made the reason she had chosen, at the last minute, to attend, even more ironic. 

it didn’t prove to be misinformation, however. when kate arrived, fifteen minutes early, she wasn’t surprised to find will, toby, cj, and danny already there. in this breakneck world of politics, fifteen minutes early was considered “on time-” five minutes early was cutting it close, ten minutes late was making an entrance, and fifteen minutes late was despicable. while it may not have been her area of expertise, kate had learned enough about political etiquette at the white house to know that early was good. 

for appearance purposes, that is. now, though, walking into the room, kate couldn’t help but wish she had forgotten that particular point of proper society. because, sitting in front of her, were four options for a conversation starter: her ex-boyfriend turned congressman; the ex press secretary, ex chief of staff, and ex fling; said fling’s husband, who couldn’t seem to keep his hand off of hers; or the traitor. kate spared a brief moment to acknowledge her hatred for that part of her brain that immediately classified them as such, before stepping fully into the room. 

unsurprisingly, will was the first to notice her. despite being closer to the inside than danny, will had always been her fellow outcast- one who hadn’t gone through campaigns, who had known about the ms before joining the team, who just hadn’t been there enough. which meant that cj, toby, and danny were all reconnecting as will stood around, listening every now and again but generally just looking bored. so of course he was the first to notice kate standing in the doorway. and, of course, being will, he was also the first to draw attention to her presence, which he did by rather loudly calling her name through the echo-y room. 

all four pairs of eyes were suddenly on her, and she felt her face growing hot as she looked at cj. she looked good, tanned and healthy, smiling, her long hair falling around her shoulders, and her eyes sparkling with mirth at something toby had just said. she knew she was staring, but kate couldn’t drag her eyes away- at least, not until will said something. 

“what?” her gaze flew back to will, away from cj, and she felt her face redden. 

“i said, ‘long time, no see’,” will repeated, grabbing kate and pulling her in for a hug. and just like that, she was back in the circle. 

it didn’t stop her from staring at cj though, and neither did seeing danny wrap his arm around her waist after the fourth or fifth time he caught her staring. it didn’t stop her from noticing the long looks will gave her, though those were easier to ignore. and nothing helped the way she noticed every time cj looked at her- throughout the ceremony, through the dinner afterward, through the conversations afterward. it didn’t stop her from realizing that the feelings she felt, no matter how strong or foolish they seemed, just could not be returned by cj. 

but she had to be sure. so, before she had a chance to leave the dinner, to go back to california and danny and her daughter, kate followed her to the bathroom. 

cj wasn’t so oblivious as to not recognize that she was being followed, kate knew this. but she still chose not to address kate until they were both securely in the bathroom with the door locked. 

“what do you want?” cj’s tone was snappy, stress that was verging on annoyance. kate almost flinched, almost, but reminded herself that she’d been in the cia and the navy- she could take one ex-fling. 

“what would you do if i kissed you?” it wasn’t the question kate had planned to ask, but, she figured, it was close enough and would have to do. 

cj, however, looked shocked. “if you _kissed_ me?” she repeated, sounding bewildered. “probably scream for help, or else walk out of here… why?”

kate felt her heart drop, and tried not to show it on her face. she must not have done such a good job, though, because cj kept talking.

“oh, kate… you know i’m with danny. i was always going to be with danny- i was literally packing to go with him when you came in. and besides, kate, it’s been years.”

that didn’t help the sudden feeling, like she’d been punched in the stomach. and leaving, making a quick excuse and getting out of there, didn’t help the sick feeling, or the lack of oxygen. because, although a part of her had known, she’d just had it said, out loud and to her face:

cj cregg was happy and in love, and it had nothing to do with kate harper. 

cj cregg- _concannon_.


End file.
